EXPERTISE NEEDED

TAIWAN MUST ATTEND WORLD HEALTH SUMMIT

I am writing to support the United States government's position for Taiwan to participate as an observer at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly being held May 22-27 in Geneva, Switzerland. This position is also held by the world at large, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan and many other countries.

The exclusion of Taiwan not only violates WHO's founding principle, as explicitly stated in its constitution, but has also prevented Taiwan from obtaining timely notification of epidemiological occurences and from sharing its medical expertise with the world.

Hawai'i is the key gateway to the U.S. through which the bird flu could enter the country. We were fortunate to escape the SARS pandemic despite certain countries' unwillingness to share the true picture of the epidemic. This time around, we may not be as fortunate.

We should demand that all entities with significant populations truthfully report all bird flu outbreaks. The World Health Organization has the means to quickly investigate, disseminate relevant information and coordinate prevention and treatments through its network.

Taiwan is able and willing to play its part as demonstrated amply during the SARS epidemic. We should enthusiastically support our government's position to involve Taiwan directly in receiving timely information from WHO and working with its extensive programs.

HELPING HAND

WEST-SIDE HOMELESS NEED GOVERNMENT HELP

I am very pleased that the homeless of downtown Honolulu are being cared for by the government by the use of the shelter at one of the piers.

This is the first step in helping our fellow citizens of Hawai'i who are down on their luck and need a helping hand.

My question for the community and government officials: What about the west side of O'ahu? Since the government pushed the homeless out of the Wai'anae Boat Harbor they have made their "homes" everywhere but the harbor.

Could we work toward a solution for this large group of homeless who need our help?

SUBVERTS THE LAW

FEDERAL RECOGNITION FIGHT DISGRACES STATE

After seven years, numerous hearings, testimony, debates, wrangling and zero progress, it's time to retire both the bill and the gracious senator.

I hate to see the loss of several decades of political capital, the personal loss to Sen. Akaka's dignity and the wrong-headed effort of the entire Hawai'i congressional delegation continuing, yet it seems that's what the cost is apt to be.

The 1893 replacement of a monarchy with a republic was the best thing for Hawai'i. When the representative form of government was dissolved by the various monarchs for the fourth time that century, it was the only choice for a population that desired to protect itself from the absolute and arbitrary authority of a dead form of government. The shot heard around the world was finally heard in Hawai'i.

The loss of federal help to the state as a whole has been grievous. Concentrating benefits on one racial group and one doubtful cause is just plain wrong.

The U.S. civil rights commission has urged rejection of S 147, yet I sense an ongoing effort to ignore the fact of the existence of our constitution. The constitution makes no provision for the dissolution of any state, nor any part of a state. These back-door contrivances to subvert the law only disgrace the whole state, and bring shame on us all.

PEDESTRIANS, BEWARE

IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE FOR CROSSWALK 'ZEBRAS'

Pedestrian right-of-way in zebra-striped crossings is a dangerous new law. At the intersection near my house in Makiki, the three middle stripes have been erased by tire marks and road debris and only the outer two stripes remain visible on each corner crossing.

To add these up, only eight of 20 stripes may still be seen. On some multi-laned streets the zebra stripes may be equally hard to identify in a timely manner for a driver traveling on an unfamiliar city street at 30 mph.

The new law has made some pedestrians feel empowered to challenge these 2,000-pound vehicles for the right-of-way to cross a stream of traffic.

Like zebras crossing a crocodile-infested river, sometimes they make it, sometimes they don't. Perhaps the zebra crossings could be better identified with a pedestrian-activated light to better the odds for us zebras.

IRAQ WAR

PRESIDENT WAS CLEAR: THE MISSION CONTINUES

I am still puzzled by your May 3 editorial stating, "Three years ago on May 1, the president declared victory. It's time to redefine the terms." I was sure that I had heard something different, so I turned to the Internet to check out the speech.

President Bush said: "Major combat operations have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." He clearly indicated that the battle was not the war, saying later: "We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of the country that remain dangerous."

No doubt what irks the president's critics was that banner saying "Mission Accomplished." The officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln knew that it referred to their 14 months of sea duty with no mishaps and zero deaths in the battle of Iraq.

As the president said on that day, "Our mission continues. Al-Qaida is wounded, not destroyed." Unfortunately, the radical left would rather attempt to destroy Bush than to honestly face the threat of radical Islam.

KUKUI MANAGERS LOST TOUCH WITH TRUST'S 'FINE INTENTIONS'

Lawrence Ching's letter Thursday sounded like rationalization for the public. He tried to create the image of a do-gooder as he perpetrates a sale that will eventually leave 857 families without homes.

The Kukui Gardens Homes were built with HUD money to provide affordable housing to people of Chinatown. A trust is supposed to protect its assets in service of the purpose of the trust, providing affordable housing, before it provides profit to the beneficiaries of the trust.

I suggest that Kukui Gardens Corp. has its priorities backward.

If the the Kukui Gardens Corp. had kept up the housing appropriately when repairs were needed, there would not be the backlog of repairs that exists today. The responsibility for repairs and maintenance belongs to the management company, which is owned by Lawrence Ching.

The need for repairs is not a good excuse to sell housing that successfully provides homes for needy members of the community who have in their younger days been productive people.

Mr. Ching states that some Kukui Gardens residents are over-income. Rental for Kukui Gardens is set on a sliding scale. The over-income renters are paying more rent for their homes than those with less income. They are not receiving a gift.

In addition, over-income residents have voted themselves a rent increase to generate funds to support a non-profit purchase for Kukui Gardens.

It is not ethical for a board to deliberately sell a nonprofit corporation to a for-profit company when it knows its original purpose will be violated. Carmel Partners has admitted that it intends to buy the property and, as soon as it is able, resell it for profit. That is what their company does.

Mr. Ching says that the receipts from the sale may go to the St. Francis Health Care System and St. Louis/Chaminade. Who else is making a profit from this sale?

Mr. Clarence Ching planned Kukui Gardens with fine intentions. At his death his board has not continued Kukui Gardens as the Eden he envisioned.